Fayik Abdi
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Fayik Rifat Abdi |
| Born | October 8, 1997 San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Education | University of Utah |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Skiing career | |
| Country |  Saudi Arabia |
| Sport | Alpine skiing |
| Disciplines | Giant slalom, slalom |
| Olympics | |
| Teams | 2 – (2022, 2026) |
| Medals | 0 |
| World Championships | |
| Teams | 1 – (2025) |
| Medals | 0 |
Fayik Rifat Abdi (Arabic: فايق عابدي; born October 8, 1997)[1] is an Olympic alpine ski racer from Saudi Arabia. He is the first Saudi Arabian[2] ski racer to compete in the Winter Olympic Games and the first ever Winter Olympian from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.[3][4][5] After graduating from the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Abdi returned to Saudi Arabia to pursue skiing as a professional sport.[6]
Early life and education
Abdi was born on October 8, 1997, in San Diego, California to Saudi parents.[7] He attended IMG Academy for high school and graduated from the University of Utah in 2020.[8] As a young boy, Abdi's mother would take him to the slopes of Lebanon, where he would practice skiing. He later started traveling to Switzerland to a winter camp, where he trained in skiing.[8]
Career
In 2017, he worked at Snowbird as a ski technician and then worked at Alta Ski Area in the same role in November 2019. In 2022, Abdi completed his historic participation in the giant slalom competition at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, finishing 44th out of 91 competitors.[9][10]
As of 2022, Abdi is an athlete for the Saudi Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the Saudi Olympic Training Center.[11]
World Championship results
| Year | |||||||
| Age | Slalom | Giant slalom |
Super-G | Downhill | Team combined |
Team event | |
| 2025 | 27 | — | DNS1 | — | — | — | — |
Olympic results
| Year | ||||||||
| Age | Slalom | Giant slalom |
Super-G | Downhill | Combined | Team combined |
Team event | |
| 2022 | 24 | — | 44 | — | — | — | N/a | — |
| 2026 | 28 | — | 67 | — | — | N/a | — | N/a |
See also
References
- ↑ "Fayik Abdi". NBC Olympics.
- ↑ "OCA » Saudi Arabia 'very proud' of hero athlete Fayik Abdi". ocasia.org.
- ↑ Yosri, Ahmed; Creidi, Imad (February 3, 2022). "Alpine skiing-Saudi skier set to make history at Beijing Games". Reuters – via www.reuters.com.
- ↑ "How did Saudi Arabia make it to the Winter Olympics? | DW | 14.02.2022". DW.COM.
- ↑ "Saudi Arabia qualifies for Beijing Winter Olympics in another first". www.zawya.com. Saudi Gazette.
- ↑ "Abdi strikes first Olympic blow for Saudi Arabia in ski quest". The Vibes. February 13, 2022.
- ↑ "How does a man from the desert qualify as a skier forWinter Olympics? – just ask Fayik of Saudi". February 4, 2022.
- 1 2 Nihal, Mariam (February 3, 2022). "Beijing Winter Olympics: Saudi skier Fayik Abdi swaps sand for snow". The National.
- ↑ "Saudi Alpine skier Fayik Abdi completes historic participation at Winter Olympics". Arab News. February 13, 2022.
- ↑ "Two Saudi skiers make history by qualifying for Winter Olympics". Arab News. January 17, 2022.
- ↑ "Saudi skier Fayik Abdi: I can do something really special at 2026 Winter Olympics". Arab News. February 16, 2022.
External links
- 1997 births
- Living people
- Saudi Arabian male alpine skiers
- Olympic alpine skiers for Saudi Arabia
- Alpine skiers at the 2022 Winter Olympics
- Alpine skiers at the 2025 Asian Winter Games
- Sportspeople from San Diego
- 21st-century Saudi Arabian sportsmen
- American people of Saudi Arabian descent
- University of Utah alumni
- Alpine skiers at the 2026 Winter Olympics